Kingdom of Norium
The Kingdom of Norium is the most prestigious and civilized nation in the world. The home of the Norin elves, who refuse access to their lands to all other races, it was stood for hundreds of years as the dominant cultural and political entity, its influence pervading into the affairs of every other state. Though recently it has suffered stagnation and decline, it is still one of the great superpowers of the world, and carries much of its old prestige. Its current King is King Louard VII, and its capital is Galenave, the most populous city in the world. It is the leader and founder of the Galan League. Racial Composition Norium is an elven nation, and extremely xenophobic to other races. No others are permitted within its lands, save under extraordinary circumstances, at the permission of the King. Some border cities are designated as open for foreign merchants, yet even there the other races are limited and only welcome temporarily. History Norium was born in the time of lawlessness and darkness 714 years ago, when the great king of the Galans, Pern I, subdued the other elven kings, and drove out the non-elves from his lands. He would divide his lands upon his children, a tradition which was continued by his heirs until his dynasty died out out of infighting, and the House of Drell, upon securing the throne, discontinued the practice, instead granting all the landings of Norium to his eldest son. The Drell kings oversaw the golden age of Norium, when its borders were secure, its coffers plenty, and all other peoples in the world paid the King homage, at least in words. In this time, the elven race also reached the peak of its power, establishing dominance over all other races. Non-human states were initially looked to with distrust, yet over time Norium's policy towards them changed towards tolerance and eventually friendship. Those that would not accept the new order were purged. Galenave became the foremost city in the world at this time, with a great collection of artists, philosophers, and scientists of all kinds. The Norin tongue became adopted in foreign courts across the world. All things eventually end, however, and the last Drell kings were successively mad, cruel, incompetent, or all at the same time. The early death of the child king Louard V with no known heirs instigated a bloody civil war between ever shifting factions, and Galenave was sacked not once, but twice in a period of a year. To compound the difficulties the kingdom was facing, the Plague of Valenia struck suddenly, spread by sailors. Though the plague devasted almost every country, Norium was the hardest hit, as its large urban cities became ideal spreading grounds for the disease. Many of the great cities of old were abbandoned during this time, including the southern islands. Finally, a lord of the House of Erondelle was crowned king, the other contestants having been slain in the field, assassinated, or beheaded. He was the grandfather of the current king, Louard VII. The reign of the Erondelle kings has been marked by the ascendance of the ambitious Cesian Republic, an agressive dwarven nation beyond the southern sea which spreads its influence and gnaws at the Kingdom. Upon hearing that the city of Aquon, a tributary of the Norin King, had undergone a suspicious coup and defected to the Republic, King Louard was outraged. A mocking comment by the dwarven ambassador drove the king to one of the fits of anger he was prone to, and he ordered the envoy flogged before all the city. This may prove to set things in motion that should never have begun... Governance Culture Sigil.png|The coat of arms of House Erondelle and Norium in general. Category:Nations